Change.org: Allow users to disagree with a petition (add the functionality)

Have you ever seen a petition that was so bad you wanted to stop it? On Change.org this power is sorely needed. But Change.org won’t CHANGE! -- So I’m using Change.org to change the org. Back story: I wrote Change.org suggesting this, and they gave me a canned response saying to post it on their “Ideas and Suggestions” message board. There I saw my suggestion already listed twice: #1 and #2 in popularity, totaling 99 votes. The next highest had 24 votes. Both were started more than a year ago (today is 11/8/12). What this means is that Change.org has been aware of this important, popular user request, but has failed to act. This is irresponsible. Not just to the users, but to the public at large. How about a ridiculous example (everyone can agree upon)? Because of how Change.org works, a Nazi sympathizer could start a petition saying we should use US funds to research how to resurrect Adolf Hitler to usher in the Third Reich. Clearly this is a bad idea. However, because of how Change.org is set up right now, there could be potentially thousands of Hitler fans signing the petition because they don’t know raising the dead is impossible. But the best YOU could do is ignore the petition. There should be a button that pegs down bad petitions. A button that indicates you don’t support the petition. This way, bad petitions won’t make it far, and won’t waste your time. Kind of like a youtube video that has 80% dislikes; don’t waste your time. Optionally, they could choose to add commenting ability for dissenters. I imagine this would function about like Amazon.com’s reviews. The most helpful get voted to the top, so you don’t waste your time reading idiotic flames like, “this petition is gay”. Change.org won’t CHANGE! The best they could do was offer a trite “At present, it is not possible to express your disagreement with a particular petition, other than by creating a petition yourself that takes an opposing view. Thanks,” in response to THEIR MOST POPULAR BY FAR idea/suggestion. There are obvious problems with Change.org’s suggestion, well-documented in the user comments to this post (http://help.change.org/entries/20154957-is-it-possible-disagree-with-a-petition-rather-just-not-signing).Your call to action: stop supporting a hypocritical organization that lobbies for change, but won’t themselves change when their own users are screaming at them to do so. Please do one or both action items below: 1. Cancel your Change.org account. This is the most likely way to get them to listen, because the avenues they have already provided their own users haven’t worked. 2. Visit http://help.change.org/entries/20154957-is-it-possible-disagree-with-a-petition-rather-just-not-signing, “Like” it, then post a comment below stating your support and/or stating “I am closing my account because Change.org has refused to act.”

I wanted to close my account, but will keep it open (and not use it other than for the sake of this petition) until 11/8/2013 unless Change.org changes their policies. What sparked this is that I actually signed a petition (indicating my support) JUST so I could comment and say what a bad petition it was.

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Change.org: Allow users to disagree with a petition (add the functionality)